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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Is diet coke really that bad in pregnancy?

57 replies

mama2moo · 17/11/2009 13:57

Its the only thing I want to drink at the moment. Ice cold, fizzy diet coke.

I remember being the same when I was pg with dd.

Are there any medical reasons for it to be unsafe?

A lot of people seem to be telling me its very unsafe??

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Pingpong · 17/11/2009 14:12

I am drinking some as I type I drank it when pg with DD and am still drinking it now with this pregnancy. I don't have it everyday and only ever one can or 500ml bottle and I don't drink any coffee so I'm not too worried about the caffeine.
I think the 'pregnancy rules' are pretty strict and I believe most things are okay in moderation ! I don't eat blue cheese or pate/liver but I have the very occasional glass of wine and do eat peanuts and shellfish.

nicnacinoonoo · 17/11/2009 14:14

i have the caffine free diet coke when im craving coke. dont see anything too wrong with it without the caffine.

bogie · 17/11/2009 14:16

Diet coke is bad at any time packed with aspartame very very bad, Normal coke is better.

AuntieMaggie · 17/11/2009 14:19

There are apparently links between fizzy drinks and osteoporosis (?) and diet coke is full of artificial stuff so I would drink it but try to drink plenty of water too, as it shouldn't take the place of your water allowance.

thedollshouse · 17/11/2009 14:23

I have a can a day. I hate the fact that it is full of such nasty chemicals, I don't allow ds to have things with sweetners in but I'm not so good at following my own advice. I can't drink fat coke as I hate the taste of sugary drinks. I am good with everything else so I don't think I am doing any harm in just having one can a day.

mazzystartled · 17/11/2009 14:30

Don't kid yourselves ladies, fake sugars are nasty nasty things. We know relatively little abot how they act in the body, but consumption has been linked to brain problems in adults, so its probably fair to extrapolate that it's not going to be great for unborn babies.

Still love it though - I am on pg no 3, and - this time - am allowing myself the rare can of diet coke to temper the (still ever present at 17 weeks) nausea.

Pingpong · 17/11/2009 14:35

I suppose it depends on what you personally rate as very very bad. To me recreational drugs would come under the very very bad category. As would smoking.
I would say taking medicine that wasn't recommended in pregnancy as very bad, binge drinking as very bad. Occasional drinking would be okay, some sugar, some caffeine, some aspartame would all be okay as would some paracetemol. Everyone clearly has a different view of what is acceptable, what is bad and what is very, very bad.
Personally I don't like coke but I do like the occasional diet coke and pregnancy doesn't stop me having it.

ReneRusso · 17/11/2009 14:36

A 330ml can contains 42mg of caffeine. The recommended maximum per day in pregnancy is 200mg. So for caffeine content it's not too bad. As for aspartame, some people believe its terrible stuff, but if you are prepared to trust the FSA, the acceptable daily intake for aspartame is 2,800 milligrams - this is equivalent to about 14 cans of diet coke a day. That's the general guideline, not in pregnancy. But my personal view is that one can a day isn't going to do any harm.

Morloth · 17/11/2009 17:14

I have had a few here and there. But then don't worry too much about any of the restrictions. Just do what I like in moderation. Worked for DS, will work for this one.

If you really want it, make it special, huge glass of ice, lots of slices of lemon and sip it nice and slooooooow. Shit now I want one.

morethemerrier · 17/11/2009 17:34

Hi I can't believe the timing of this post, as DH was concerned last night that I was drinking too much diet coke, I have a MAX of two 500ml bottles a day, but today I switched to water instead and its just not the same. I am pregnant with DC3 and its the first craving I have had, has to be freezing cold too! Having cut out everything else including my big black coffee habit, I feel a bit peeved that this is yet another thing on the BAD list! Think I will also switch to the caffine free version as a compromise! With regard to the chemicals/ingredients there must be a million products that have things in them that would probably come under the BAD list, but you could drive yourself bonkers trying to avoid them all!

Morloth · 17/11/2009 17:55

Actually I think a litre of Diet Coke (or any soft drink really) is a lot whether pregnant or not!

IckleJess · 17/11/2009 18:02

When I was pregnant last time I drank gallons of the stuff. It had to be ice cold and I would head straight to the fridge upon waking at 6am and I probably got through 2x500ml bottles most days. It was the only thing that stopped me from being sick and I had to have it.

Having said that, I didn't drink tea or coffee and also went off chocolate too so my caffeine intake was only from the diet coke.

It didn't do my baby any harm as far as I can tell (although I do concede that Diet Coke is full of nasties)however I ended up with 2 fillings by 28weeks although my sherbert lemon addiciton contributed in no small way towards them I'm sure, aswell as the diet coke

I think you just have to do whatever it takes to get you through. 2.5yrs on I am pregnant again and wish something as simple as drinking diet coke would take away the constant nausea for me this time but nothing is helping

colditz · 17/11/2009 18:04

No. It's fine. It's not 'very very bad' at all.

chegirl · 17/11/2009 18:11

I hate it usually. I only drink it when I am pg.

I dont think its in the same league as heroin or crack.

My booking midwife told me 'of course now we tell our ladies to avoid tea..'

I laughed.

mazzystartled · 17/11/2009 18:11

I think we all have to do our own little risk/benefit analysis against what we decide to eat/drink during pregnancy.

At its absolute best, diet coke is nutritionally void. But we are really in the dark about the safety of aspartame (in particular) and other sweeteners (in general). Even a basic google search gives me pause for thought.

So I am treating it as an occasional special treat, and even feeling a bit guilty about that (but that's what makes a treat special innit?).

Elizap · 17/11/2009 18:55

is the only thing that stops me throwing up and takes away the horrendous nausea that plagues me all day long. I am not giving it up for love or money!!! That said my nausea is so bad I dont seem to be able to even finish half a can of the stuff before the day is through. Of all the things that one could be putting into their body I dont feel that diet coke is that bad. Look at all the women who continue to smoke. Thats not good.

Original poster

mama2moo · 17/11/2009 20:26

Interesting thoughts. Its all I drink in a day. If I dont I get awful headaches from lack of caffine.

I have tried cutting down but I am craving it. Maybe I will cut down slowly and limit myself to one or two cans a day.

OP posts:

Pingpong · 17/11/2009 20:31

how much are you on mama2moo ? You sound like an addict

Pingpong · 17/11/2009 20:31

how much are you on mama2moo ? You sound like an addict

Pingpong · 17/11/2009 20:37

sorry for duplication

mmmmmchocolate · 17/11/2009 20:59

I too have switched to the caffeine free stuff it was the only thing that stopped me feeing sick. It was either that or normal diet coke and I figured it was the lesser of two evils. Also I wasnt able to drink anything, squash made me sick straight away and water left a rank taste in my mouth and I was dehydrated all the time. I didnt have anything like this im my last preg so feel a bit bad that I have this time but if it makes the nausea go away im not giving it up!! Mind you in reverse its absolutly horrid yuck!!

CarryOnDancing · 20/11/2009 13:32

I am craving regular coke (32 weeks pregnant), for me I think its the sugar, plus I think the fizziness helps my chronic indigestion. I still feel very naughty doing it, I squeeze half a lime in to make me feel better!

Aspartame is described as a neurotoxin by some american scientists. Looking online there is still alot of controversy about its use and links to cancer, especially in america.

The other day I overheard a girl (looked about 14), she said 'I can have pizza for lunch, I had a diet coke so I've already been healthy'

BexieID · 20/11/2009 14:16

Not drinking it whilst pregnant hasn't even crossed my mind till now (35 weeks today). I don't drink it that much, usually on a 'chip' day .

However, I have been having one can of diet Irn-Bru a day. Baby will be orange!

fiziwizzle · 20/11/2009 14:32

I'm not one for fizzy drinks but I've been craving diet coke too. I wonder what it is about it? No other fizzy drink will do, it has to be diet coke

mothermirabelle · 20/11/2009 16:52

I don't drink the stuff I have to say as I just don't like it...but there was a free mini can of it (and a money off coupon) in my Bounty mum-to-be pack....so the 'experts' can't be completely condemning it in pregnancy!

I must admit I did think it was a strange thing to have in a mum-to-be pack. I've given it to my hubby anyway!

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